Pierce Family Livestock

Greetings from Pierce Family Livestock! Our family owns a small, grass-fed/grass-finished beef herd. We started raising cattle about 10 years ago. We bought a small herd of Scottish Highlands just for fun and to raise beef for ourselves but very quickly other people were interested in buying meat from us. We then added a few more cows, some black baldies, and then the rest is history. We only have two Scottish Highlands now, and the rest of our cattle are crossbreeds. When we started the business I told my husband that I wanted a rainbow of cows, and so that is what we have! 

We sell our meat directly to the consumer. Originally we sold halves and wholes to families, then we moved to the farmers market and now we sell in two small grocery stores or right to the individual. I [Caiti Pierce] fell in love with beef cattle, the beef industry, and all agriculture! I will talk about the importance of raising beef and eating beef to anyone who will listen. 

A little bit about our family. My husband, Ben, had the vision for us to raise beef cattle. He grew up on a small farm, worked at his neighbor's dairy farm and trained horses growing up. I am originally from Northern Illinois but am a converted Wisconsinite. We live in Northern Wisconsin and have three children. They play an active role on the farm. When we have family work days they help set push posts, temp lines, collect eggs or fill waters. Our oldest is able to move the herd on her own now. If I am busy with a project, I count on her to check the cows and make sure all calves are accounted for and that there are no major issues. Ben and I both trust her completely with this job. The boys prefect the manual labor, or driving the side by side and hauling tools. We are firm believers in giving our kids opportunities to succeed. Kids are capable of doing hard things, you just have to give them a chance. Besides the farm, Ben has a full-time job as an equine director at a youth camp. We are involved in our community and love watching the boys play baseball. 

One of our favorite things to do together is cook! A couple of years ago we started doing “Kids Cook Wednesday,” where the kids had to make supper. It started simple with tacos, boiling noodles, or scrambling eggs. Now they all play a role in making the meal and can create dishes with several steps. In March of 2021, we participated in the virtual cooking class through the Wisconsin Beef Council making the Rustic Corned Beef & Potato Bake. We had a ton of fun and learned a new way to cook with corned beef.

From May to early November, our herd is rotationally grazed. The steers and bulls move to one side of the property, and the cows and calves move to the other. They are moved about every 3-4 days, and we can see the improvement in the grass! Later in the season once the hay is made, we graze the cattle in our three hay fields to add more nutrients to those fields. One of our fields is very deficient in nitrogen, so this year we added that nutrient to the soil, but for the most part, the cattle do a great job of ‘feeding’ their own food. 

Our current bull is a British White named Sven. We bought him from Lumberjack Ranch LLC three years ago and love him! I love all the colorful calves we get, and he has a fantastic temperament. He is calm, protective of the calves, and never aggressive with the cows. 

If you’re ever in Langlade County you can find our beef at Natural Living or Evergreen Shoppe; or just search Pierce Family Livestock & pick up direct. Eat Beef!